Algonquin teen pleads not guilty to father's murder

An Algonquin boy charged in the February shooting death of his father pleaded not guilty Wednesday to two counts of first-degree murder.

David W. Szalonek, 16, has been in juvenile custody since Feb. 8, when his father was found dead of a single shotgun blast to the head in their home on the 1400 block of Westbourne Parkway.

The teenager's attorney, Brian Telander, said he intends to meet with Kane County prosecutors in the coming month to discuss the case, but he stopped short of calling it formal plea negotiations.

"It's certainly with a view toward coming to an agreement," he said. "But no offers have been made."

Szalonek, who has been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, was charged after telling a friend he had just killed his father, 51-year-old Brian Szalonek, according to police.

The fatal shooting happened not long after the younger Szalonek had attempted suicide and received inpatient psychiatric care, said his attorney, who is seeking records from the six-week stay at Alexian Brothers Hospital.

Telander said he also is looking into three orders of protection sought by Szalonek's mother, accusing her husband of physical abuse.

"It's certainly a factor that goes to the kid's mental state," he said.

On Wednesday, Judge Thomas E. Mueller granted Telander's request to allow his client visits from his 20-year-old brother who is returning from college in Indiana.

Szalonek was being held in the Juvenile Justice Center in St. Charles on a $2.5 million bond. He is due back in court June 24.